NBA Street: Homecourt - PS3 - Preview

Video
games are played as a means of escapism, offering a vast spectrum of worlds
where improbability often circumnavigates probability to form its own sense of
reality.

Crazy
talk, you say? Well, EA Sports is sure talking crazy with the latest edition of
NBA Street Homecourt for the PS3. We are talking wickedly surreal moves and
dunks, and a basketball title that is briskly paced, will illicit an assortment
of “oohs” and “aahs,” as well as trigger a few laughing fits at the variety of
antics these ballers can pull off.

A quick
tap of the directional pad and a teammate runs to the top of the key, kneeling
to the ground. Nope, not looking for a missing contact lens, but rather
providing a launch pad for the ball handler to run in, spring off the back, fly
through the air well above the rim to deliver an astounding, backboard-rattling
jam.

It’s all
part of the fun.

You want
options? The game comes loaded.

The title
is the successor to NBA Street Vol. 3, and GameZone got hands on the preview
code for the title. What was here was polished, with solid animations, a
soundtrack that was spot-on for the next-gen sports title.

For the
uninitiated, Homecourt, and the previous Street titles, allows players to take
on the guise of a pro basketball player (or create their own) and then take to
the streets for some action that not only defies gravity but parlays the more
outrageous street moves into the game. But whereas Street was starting to get a
little ponderous with the control scheme, Homecourt simplifies the entire
process to render out a game that is very user friendly.

While the
majority of the play selection is relegated to the D-pad, you can modify choices
with the shoulder buttons (R1, L1 and so on).

Pull off a
variety of tricks, boost the gamebreaker scale and then put the ball through the
hoop to score big points. The game also pays attention to some street moves when
it comes to defense. Remember, there really isn’t a ref, so you can get away
with a little pushing and shoving here and there.

When it
comes to the physics, the dev team paid attention to real life. Ok, so the
actual shots don’t approximate the real world, but there are some constants.
Smaller players, like Allen Iverson, will handle the rock much better, while the
physical presence of the larger players is tough to counter in the lane.

The game
has a variety of play options, including practice and quick play, along with
some challenges that may have you trying to “out-trick” your opponent. All in
all, this game has a variety of play styles that should keep most street ballers
happy for a while.

Graphically the game soars (pun intended). With slick animations, this game is
very easy on the eyes. The sound is first rate as well.

This is
the type of title that will definitely please hoop fans looking to step outside
the boundaries and restrictions of the NBA or NCAA games. The game has been
refined, and in this case that means taking a step backwards to the good old
control-scheme days while moving ahead with the graphic might of the next-gen
consoles.